Madonna (Real name: Madonna Louise Ciccone) is an American music artist and singer/songwriter.
Rising as a phenomenal star in the Eighties, she has gone on to become one of the most successful artists in the history of popular music, with album sales in the hundreds of millions. She was born into a large Italian family in Michigan, and showed an early interest in dance. She made her way to New York where she worked with major figures of the dance world, including Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey. At the same time, however, she was gigging as a singer with bands, and a recording deal in the early Eighties led to her first hit Holiday in 1983. Ever conscious of image, she projected a confident sexuality through dance and song, her style tapping the taste of the Eighties yuppie “Me Generation”, and she scored runaway success with a welter of pop releases including Like A Virgin and Material Girl. While many fans cite her business acumen and ability to change her image (major stars do have considerable time, advice and resources to consider such matters) before mentioning her actual singing, her longevity has surprised many who might initially have doubted her talent. She has also pursued a screen and stage career, though has perhaps experienced less success in these fields than as a recording artist and live singer-dancer. More than anything else though, she is an icon for the generation that grew up with her songs and videos.

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